Frazier Fir

Tree Overview:

Frazier firs are native to the higher elevations of the southern Appalachian Mountains. They are grown commercially for sale as Christmas trees, and they are unrivaled for holiday use because of their fresh fragrance and symmetrical shape.

Height: up to 40 ft
Width: 15 ft

Care details

Frazier fir trees prefer locations with an annual rainfall of at least 75 inches. If you have less rainfall, plan to irrigate the tree. Never let the soil around the tree dry out. Weeds compete with the tree for moisture and nutrients, so keep the tree’s root zone weed free. A thick layer of mulch will help keep the soil moist and shade out the weeds. If your soil is rich and loose, you won’t need to fertilize the tree. Otherwise, top-dress with two inches of mulch in spring or early summer. You may need to trim the tree to maintain a pyramid shape, but you can often shape wayward branches by bending them inward. Cut as little as possible so that you don’t ruin the natural shape.

Needle description

Flattened, shiny, dark green needles (to 1” long) are white-banded beneath. Needles are densely borne on resinous stems.

Cone description

Seed cones are purple with conspicuously protruding bracts. As is distinctive with the firs, the cones appear upright on the branches.